1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing apparatuses and methods and programs, and in particular, relates to an information processing apparatus and method for preventing an external device connected to the apparatus from editing data stored in the apparatus, and a program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Widespread image processing apparatuses, such as digital still cameras,and digital video cameras, each use an imager, e.g., a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), to capture a still image or a moving image.
In such an image processing apparatus, image data of a still or moving image captured is recorded onto a recording medium. In the following description, when it is unnecessary to distinguish between a still image and a moving image, they will simply be referred to as images.
In some cases, in recording image data of a captured still image onto a recording medium, a still image whose size is smaller than that of the captured still image is generated and the generated still image with the smaller size is also recorded. The smaller-size still image is called a thumbnail image. On the other hand, in recording image data of a captured moving image onto a recording medium, a moving image whose size is smaller than that of the captured moving image may be generated and the generated moving image with the smaller size may also be recorded. Each of the above-described smaller-size still and moving images is used as a reference image to retrieve the original still or moving image. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-160947 discloses the above-described apparatus and method.
The image processing apparatuses include another type of apparatus having a function of displaying (playing) an image based on image data recorded in a recording medium. The apparatuses include further another type of image processing apparatus having a function of outputting recorded image data to an external device connected thereto.
As described above, in some cases, image data recorded on a recording medium is outputted to an external device connected to the image processing apparatus. Assuming that the image processing apparatus is connected to, e.g., a personal computer, image data recorded on the recording medium may be supplied from the image processing apparatus to the personal computer, an image based on the supplied image data may be displayed on a display of the personal computer, and the image data may be edited. Assuming that the image processing apparatus is connected to, e.g., a printer, image data recorded on the recording medium may be supplied from the image processing apparatus to the printer and an image based on the image data may be printed by the printer.
In other words, image data recorded on the recording medium may be read and edited by a device connected to the image processing apparatus.
As for image data recorded on the recording medium, it may be undesirable to view or edit the image data through an external device. Furthermore, the recording medium may store a program and/or data which are not provided to a user basically. In other words, in the recording medium, data that should not be viewed and edited by the user may be recorded in addition to data that is viewable and editable.
As for data (or a data file) that should not be viewed and edited by the user, the attribute of the data is set to “hidden file”, “system file”, or “read-only file”, thus preventing the data from being edited or viewed through an external device.
However, just setting the attribute of the file is not going to solve the above problem. The user may change the attribute within the allowable range of operation. Accordingly, the above-described approach to setting the attribute of a file, which should not be viewed and edited by a user, is insufficient to prevent the file from being viewed and edited by the user.
In other words, the user may view and/or edit a file that should not be viewed and edited by the user so long as the attribute of the file is set in order to protect the file. An apparatus handling a recording medium storing a file which may be data that should not be edited and viewed has to be designed so that the apparatus continues to function normally even if the file is edited (modified).
The present invention is made in consideration of the above-described circumstances and it is desirable to realize a technique of preventing a file that need not be provided for a user from being provided for the user.